The presidents of Afghanistan and Tajikistan on Sunday opened a border bridge between their countries near the German military base at Kunduz, according to dpa. The bridge over the river Pyanj, which was financed by the United States, would strengthen trade in the region, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said at the opening in the border town of Nizhnii Pyanj. US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez hailed the new border crossing as "another step in the direction of peace and stability in Afghanistan." The US financed the construction of the 672-metre long bridge with 37 million dollars. In the two years it took to build, German soldiers, among others, guarded the site. Tajik President Emomali Rachmonov dismissed fears that the new bridge might facilitate the smuggle of drugs and weapons in the region. Couriers mostly carry Afghan drugs from Central Asia to Europe. In total up to 1,000 trucks dispatched daily. Trade between Tajikistan and Afghanistan rose by 40 per cent in the first half of 2007. Both countries have cultural and other close ties. Around 25 per cent of Afghans are ethnic Tajiks.
